The present invention is directed toward an apparatus for identifying plants and more particularly, toward an apparatus that allows a plant to be identified while it is on display in a pot as well as when it has been removed from the pot and is transplanted into the ground.
Various types of stakes have been used with potted plants that are sold in nurseries or other types of retail businesses in order to identify the plant and to provide relevant information regarding the plant. Typically the stake is made from a flexible plastic material and is easily placed into the soil of the plant. A picture of the plant in full bloom and its scientific name may be featured on one side of the stake. Other information regarding the plant may be printed on the reverse side of the stake such as spacing, light, water, and temperature requirements, and often, the price of the plant. If the plant is to be replanted or transplanted into a garden or the ground, the stake may be removed as well and placed into the ground adjacent the plant.
An example of a stake used to identify a plant is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,768 to Tesselaar et al. This patent discloses a display stake made from a plastic material with a label carrying portion that is not easily removed from the stake. The stake may be secured to the pot. This stake, however, is not meant to be removed from the pot and placed into the ground when the plant is transplanted.
Another example of a stake is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,410 to Wheeler. This patent discloses a stake made from a thin, flexible material. The stake has a portion that identifies the plant and may be inserted into a pot or into the ground when the plant is transplanted. The stake also has barbs which become entangled with the roots of the plant within the soil so that the stake cannot be easily removed from the plant.
A common problem encountered, however, by placing the stake into the ground when transplanting is that because it is so flexible and flimsy, it is often incapable of withstanding different types of weather conditions. As a result, the stake may become uprooted or otherwise displaced. Also, the stake may not be very aesthetically pleasing.
Therefore, a need exists for an aesthetically pleasing means for identifying a plant and for providing relevant information regarding the plant but that is easy to remove from a potted plant and is sturdy enough to withstand weather changes when placed into the ground.
The present invention is designed to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for identifying plants when the plants are in pots or when they are transplanted into the ground.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a plant identifying apparatus that is resilient to changes in weather.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a plant identification marker that is aesthetically pleasing.
In accordance with the illustrative embodiments demonstrating features and advantages of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for identifying plants. The appartus includes a stake, a hang tag, and a marker. The stake includes an elongated member with a first end and a second end. The first end includes a bent portion and has a forked end with parallel top and bottom prong members. The prong members include means for removably securing the hang tag and marker thereto. The hang tag is a conventional tag made from plastic, paper coated with plastic, or the like and provides the name and other relevant information regarding a particular type of plant. Located adjacent the top of the tag are two holes formed parallel to each other. Located below the holes is a slit. The marker is made from a weather resistant material. The marker may be generally oval-shaped with an elongated member extending downwardly from the bottom thereof. Located adjacent the top of the marker are two parallel holes which can be aligned with the holes formed in the hang tag. In order to use the apparatus of the present invention, the elongated member of the marker is inserted into the slit formed in the hang tag so that the holes of the marker and hang tag are aligned. The prongs and arms of the stake are then inserted through the holes of the hang tag. Similarly, the prongs and arms of the stake are inserted through the holes of the marker. The arms prevent the hang tag and marker from being removed from the stake unless so desired by the user. The stake may now be placed in a potted plant. If the user so desires, the hang tag may be removed from the stake by passing the securing means and prongs back through the holes of the hang tag and marker. The marker may be removed from the hang tag and be replaced onto the stake as described above or may be placed directly into the ground or pot.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings.